This invention pertains to the preparation of high solids coating compositions and more particularly to the use of substituted carbamates as reactive cosolvents and/or reactive diluents together with water to form the liquid vehicle for the application of film forming polymers. The resultant water borne high solids, coating compositions can be either solutions or dispersions depending upon the particular polymer and substituted carbamate chosen as the reactive cosolvent or reactive diluent.
Water borne high solids coating compositions as used herein are coatings in which the principle application medium is a mixture of water and a nearly non-volatile organic material capable of reacting with the base film forming polymer and/or crosslinking agent. They may be of two types viz., (1) dispersions of organic polymers (latices) to which the co-reactive organic materials may also serve as filming aids, antifreeze agents, defoamers, etc.; and (2) solutions of organic polymers in which the thinner is a mixture of an organic co-reactive material (reactive cosolvent) and water. It is the intent of this invention to disclose the preparation of water borne high solids coating compositions in which the reactive organic material is also a solvent or dispersant as well as being essentially non-volatile and as a consequence many of the problems associated with the prior art "organic solvent borne" and "water borne coatings" are circumvented.